by Roth, T. A.
"That would be great." Distracting myself is going to be the only way to make the time go by quicker.
"Hello," a man's voice calls from the front lobby. Natalie and I look at each other confused. We weren't expecting anyone but the attorneys today.
Curious, I get up from my desk to check on our unexpected visitor.
"Hi," I say peeking out from behind the wall that divides the offices from the lobby. A tall twenty-something blonde hottie smiles back at me.
"Hi, I'm Jeremy Benton. Uh, James . . . I mean Mr. Benton's nephew," he says nervously. They mentioned he would be coming on as a junior associate, but I wasn't expecting him until next week.
"Hi, I'm Ari. I'm Mr. Benton and Mr. Warner's assistant. They haven't made it back to the office yet. Do you want to take a look around? We're just unpacking."
"Thank you. It's nice to finally meet you, Ari. I've heard a lot about you from my uncle." I scrunch my face up in horror, and he laughs.
"All good things, I promise," he says, chuckling. His laid-back demeanor, deep tan, and the tattoo peeking out from under his rolled-up button-down shirt make me think he spends a lot more time on the beach surfing than in a stuffy office.
He also seems to be fighting back the urge to add the word bro to the end of each sentence. He's the polar opposite of his straight-laced uncle, and the thought makes me want to laugh. This should be interesting.
He follows me back, and this time I do laugh. His reaction to the view is the same one I had just a few hours ago. Natalie turns the corner coming to a halt.
"Natalie, this is Jeremy Benton. Jeremy, this is Natalie, Mr. Dietrich and Mr. Bell's assistant." I see Natalie's eyebrow quirk up with a hint of a smile. Oh, she's good. Jeremy's eyes pull from the window, and his appreciative gaze focuses on a completely different view.
I'm in the bedroom with my suitcases lying half full across the bed when I hear the front door open.
"Babe?" I call out into the hall.
"Yeah, where you at?"
"Back here." I'm putting a stack of undershirts into my bag when she enters the room.
"Hey," she calls from the doorway. She looks at the open suitcases with a frown then back at me.
"So this is happening already? Are you that desperate to get out of here?" she asks with a pout. I scoop her into my arms and bury my face into her neck. The faint smell of her shampoo and vanilla still linger on her skin. "Hmm . . . I've missed you," I murmur.
"Doesn't look like it. Looks like you're trying to make a clean getaway," she says squirming out of my hold.
"Larry let me off early and gave me the next couple of days off. I don't want to waste any of our time together doing this," I say pointing at the suitcases. "I was hoping to be done before you got home, but there's just too much shit to remember," I say, pulling her back into my arms.
"Good answer," she mumbles, kissing my neck. "I missed you too, by the way."
"Oh yeah, how was the new office? Nice?" I ask giving her a quick kiss. Her eyes get a little dreamy.
"I can't wait for you to see it. The view is amazing. You can see all the way to the ocean. The whole office is made of glass—walls, doors, everything. Nothing obstructs that view," she says happily.
"So no privacy?" I ask pulling her in tighter. Having her pressed against that conference room door was hot as fuck and the image instantly makes me hard.
"Sorry, the glass smokes up for privacy, but you can still see the outline of people’s bodies, so whatever office fantasy you have playing in your head right now is not going to happen." She walks toward the closet and begins to undress.
"Vonne called me on my way home. What's the plan for tomorrow?" She's pulling her top over her head, and suddenly, all thought has left the building.
"Uh . . . um . . . what?"
"What time do we have to be there tomorrow?" she asks with a laugh.
"We have to be there by six. Are you going to be able to swing that?" Eli's graduation is tomorrow, and she normally gets home way past six. The traffic from Pasadena to Orange County will be ridiculous if we don't leave early enough.
"Most of the boxes got unpacked today. I asked Mr. Warner if I could leave a few hours early tomorrow, and he said it wouldn't be a problem. They're still busy with the Jalen Jeffrey case."
I roll my eyes at the mention of that douche's name. Young, rich rockstar gets DUI. Typical. These idiots think they're above the law until someone gets hurt. He's lucky that the girl he was with only suffered a concussion. They ran into a parked car head-on, and from what I've read, his blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit. He can rot in jail for all I care; he just better keep his eyes and hands off my girl.
"Has he been back to the office?" Her lips quirk into a smile.
"Calm down, killer. We've been between offices. They've been meeting with him at his hotel. I haven't seen him since that first meeting." She told me all about her first meeting, and I wish I could say that the excitement in her voice didn't make me jealous.
"Good. Hopefully, they'll ship his ass back to London soon." She pulls on a pair of boxer shorts and meets me in the center of the room.
"Maybe he can give you a ride to London in his private jet." She smirks giving me a quick kiss. I deepen it, making her hum in appreciation. Just as she's really getting into it, I pull away and walk back to my suitcases.
"Very funny. Now, stop distracting me, so I can finish up."
"Payback's a bitch, Mr. Rodriguez," she says scowling at me.
I love teasing her. "I look forward to it."
Sleep didn't come easy. I tossed and turned thinking about Ben's impending trip; add in the info Maria threw at me yesterday, and I'm surprised I managed the four hours I did get. I've tried not to think about Amos' intentions with me; why anyone would follow someone for seven years without saying a word is beyond my comprehension. I think back to his intense gaze when he speaks to me; possessiveness stirs behind those eyes that I've never realized until now. For the first time in the last few days, I'm glad Ben is leaving. It will give me time to sort this out and to somehow confront my demons without hurting the person I love in the process.
"So you're ditching me today?" I look up from the box I've been staring into and see Natalie standing in front of my desk with her arms crossed.
"Yeah, sorry. A friend of ours is graduating tonight."
"Aww, man, I was hoping to try out one of those restaurants back there," she says pointing over her shoulder.
"Why don't you see if Jeremy is free?" I waggle my eyebrows making her laugh.
"He's hot, but I don't want to date anyone I work with. I'll just have fun enjoying the extra view." His office sits right in front of her desk.
"What's the fun in that," I tease.
"Ugh, I know." She groans. "I really need to meet someone. There are like a million people in this building. I'm bound to have some luck, right?"
"Are you kidding me? Go sit in the courtyard. I'll bet you money you'll have a marriage proposal by the end of the day."
"You know how to stroke a girl's ego, Ari. We're going to be really good friends," she says walking back to her desk.
I'm in my car and on the road by 12:15 pm; coffee has been my friend today. I stopped by Starbucks on my way out and had them add an extra shot of espresso. Thankfully, traffic is clear, and I make it home in time to get ready without having to rush. By this time next week, I'll be the only one left in town. I'm about to turn the radio on to shake me out of my impending funk when my phone rings. Vonne's name flashes across the screen.
"Yes."
"I'm leaving work, going home to change, and then I'm getting on the train. You guys still coming for me?" she asks nervously.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm headed home now too. I just need to change, and Ben and I are planning to head out before traffic gets crazy. We'll be there. Are you still getting in at four thirty?"
"Yeah, I checked the schedule and all the trains are running on time."
"Cool, t
hen we'll see you later." There's a pause.
"I'm nervous."
"Why?"
"We're really doing this. Eli and me."
"Okay, and we've talked about this already."
"I know, but he followed me up to San Diego on Sunday, and we've had the best three days, Ari. I can't mess this up. Tell me again I can make this work."
Vonne is the most confident person I know. She sets her sights on something and goes for it. The girl is fearless, so hearing the panic in her voice over this throws me.
"You got this. I told you to just take it day by day. That's all you can do," I reassure her.
"Okay, I'll see you later. Four thirty?"
"Four thirty. Got it."
Ben is asleep on the couch when I walk in; he looks so peaceful, and if we weren't on such a tight schedule, I'd let him continue sleeping. He stirs when I close the door.
"Shit. What time is it?" he asks, running a hand through his hair.
"About one thirty. I'm just going to change then we can get on the road."
"Okay, I'll get up. What time do we have to get Vonne?"
"Four thirty."
Last night was rough. Every time I closed my eyes, the bed would shift. Ari was restless and talked in her sleep most of the night. I made breakfast, sat on the couch to watch a show, and must have dozed off. She doesn't look any better; the dark circles she's trying to hide with makeup are a dead giveaway, but I wouldn't dare tell her.
Splashing some cold water on my face helps to wake me up. Sensing the anxiety in Eli's voice over Vonne meeting his parents makes me move a little quicker. I don't want to add to his anxiety by being late.
"Is this okay?" Ari asks, standing in the hall. Stepping away from the sink, I move out of the bathroom to get a better look. She could wear a trash bag and look beautiful.
"You look gorgeous, as usual." Giving her a quick kiss, I walk toward the bedroom. "Let me change and we'll get on the road."
"I'll wait in the living room."
We make it to Downtown Fullerton without incident. Leaving early was the smartest thing we could have done. Having an hour and a half to waste before Vonne gets in, we decide to go to Slide Bar to grab a bite to eat.
The hostess greets us and we're seated on the outdoor patio facing the arriving trains. Ari sends Vonne a text letting her know we're just across the parking lot should her train arrive early. Quickly looking over the menu, we place our orders and settle into our chairs. Ari yawns and I follow suit.
"Stop that. It's contagious," I mock. She stretches, shaking her arms out a little.
"Sorry. The nap in the car helped, but I swear I could've stayed asleep for the rest of the night."
"I don't know how you were able to wake up this morning," I say bringing her hand into mine.
"Two cups of coffee with a couple of shots of espresso. That's how," she says through another yawn. "So have you talked to Eli?"
"Yeah, he called on his drive back from Vonne's."
"Vonne's a hot mess. How is he holding up?"
"He's doing about the same. It's been a while since he's introduced anyone to his parents, and he's leaving tomorrow. He has a lot going on."
The waitress brings out our order, and we waste no time digging in. We're almost done with our food when we notice Vonne walking toward our table.
"Hey, guys."
"Wow, you're here really early," Ari says checking the time.
"Yeah, this train didn't make many stops. It was almost a straight shot."
"Do you want to order something? We have some time before we need to head out," I ask.
"I could use a stiff drink," she says nervously bouncing her knee.
"That's probably not the best idea. Let me order you something." Vonne rolls her eyes as Ari flags down our waitress.
"So give it to me straight, Ben. How bad are they going to hate me?" Vonne asks making me laugh.
Like my mother, Marie Montenegro is very protective of her only son. He hasn't brought anyone home since his high school sweetheart, Lisa. She took the breakup even worse than Eli. From what my mother has said, she was already planning the wedding and grandchildren. I don't envy Vonne today; she's right to be nervous. Our mothers are tough to win over. She's nervously biting her thumbnail, waiting for my answer.
"I'm not going to lie. Marie is a tough cookie, but she'll come around. Just be yourself, and you'll win her over." Ari whacks me in the arm.
"Ouch, what was that for?"
"You're not helping," she says scowling. I look over at Vonne, and her eyes are the size of saucers as she stands.
"I'm gonna go. This is stupid. What the hell was I thinking? I'm not the girlfriend type, and I'm going to make an ass out of myself. I know it." Ari grabs her by the wrist before she can get away. Oh, shit. She wasn't lying when she said she was worse off than Eli was.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it worse. Don't go. Eli will never forgive me if he found out my big mouth made you run. Listen, you just have to act like your charming self and they'll have no choice but to love you."
I leave out the fact that Eli's dad is a womanizing asshole. So when I say they, I really mean just Eli's dad. Marie will be threatened by her beauty while Rodrigo, Eli's dad, will probably spend most of the evening trying to charm his way into her panties.
"Come on. Just sit and eat a little something. We have a long night ahead of us, and I know for a fact you don't eat when you're nervous," Ari pleads. Vonne scowls at her but reluctantly sits.
Finally getting the waitress’s attention, Ari orders her the same taco plate we just finished and a glass of wine. Seeing her little freak-out probably made her reconsider that drink. A plate of food and two glasses of wine later, Vonne finally seems to settle. As she sips the last of her wine, her phone alerts her of a text.
"Eli wants us to meet him before the ceremony." Panic is once again evident in her eyes.
We quickly settle the bill and head over to the campus. The ceremony is being held on the main field. Wanting to spend more time with Vonne, Eli decided to forgo the smaller ceremony held for his department this morning. Instead, he is attending the main ceremony. I see at least two and half hours of sitting in our future.
After what feels like a ten-mile trek through the campus, we finally reach the field. Vonne is a nervous wreck, and I know exactly how she feels. Hell, I'm a little nervous, and Eli isn't even my boyfriend. I know how horrible my first meeting with Elizabeth was; I'm just hoping it goes smoother than that for her.
We spot Eli as we approach the entrance and I'm yanked back.
"Ouch."
"Sorry, it's just. Fuck." Vonne puts her hand over her mouth like it will help take back the fact that she just dropped an F-bomb. "How do I look?"
"You look great. Now, take a deep breath and calm the hell down. You're making me nervous." I hold her shoulders and take a few deep breaths until she begins to mimic me. "You have this. Let's go."
We turn toward Eli and notice that Ben is already chatting it up. Thankful for the distraction, we slowly make our way over. I give her arm a little squeeze in reassurance.
Eli immediately pulls Vonne into a hug, and I think I hear him tell her to breathe. Ben sidles up next to me and laces our fingers.
"Mom, Dad, this is Vonne and Ari."
Eli is the spitting image of his father. The man, who insists we call him Rodrigo, is tall with sandy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Not one hair is out of place and his stance demands attention. Marie Montenegro is the epitome of a trophy wife. She's petite, blond, and has had her fair share of augmentation. Unlike Rodrigo's warm welcome, her large blue eyes size us up.
"It's nice to meet you," we say in unison, sounding like members of Charlie’s Angels.
She offers a limp handshake and a smirk. Ben's mom seems like Mother Theresa compared to this woman.
"Okay, well, I better go line up." Eli leans in and gives Vonne a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you after?"
She nods an
d watches as Eli walks away, her eyes nervously flit back and forth between him and his parents. She looks at Ben in sheer panic.
"All right, let's go grab some seats," he says breaking the awkward silence.
Two and a half hours, one sore butt, and a lot of small talk later, Eli is an official college graduate. Vonne's fingernails have been chewed down to nubs, but she survived the meeting of the parents. Rodrigo asked the basic getting to know you questions, but Marie couldn't be bothered. Ben had mentioned that Eli's and his parents were best friends, and I could see why. Marie carries the same arrogance Elizabeth does. It's a miracle their boys turned out the way they did.
It takes Eli a few minutes to find us, and we take turns congratulating him. Ignoring his mother's obvious annoyance, he declines their dinner invite and decides to spend his last night in L.A. driving Vonne back to San Diego. Her eyes get a little misty at the suggestion, and I'm so happy he reciprocates her affection for him. We say our final good-byes, and I'm thankful to be heading home.
"Are you hungry?" Ben asks as I get into the car.
"Not really. I'm still full from earlier." I wait for him to get into the passenger seat and pull away.
"Can I ask you a question?"
He smirks. "If it's about Marie . . . no, she hasn't always been that way." I don't know how he does it. I swear between him and Vonne, one of them is psychic.
"So at one point she was sweet and then out of nowhere she turned into a Disney villain?”
He laughs. "That's a good one. I’d say she's more Evil Queen than Maleficent. What do you think?"
"I'm serious. Why the sudden change?" He takes a deep breath and rolls his neck. All tells that I've noticed recently. He does this when he doesn't want to talk about something. "Spill, Rodriguez. This involves my best friend's possible future mother-in-law."
He shakes his head. "They just made it official and now you've married them off?"
"Stop avoiding the question." I cross my arms over my chest and narrow my eyes at him. It's supposed to be intimidating, but it only makes him laugh harder. Which, in turn, makes me smack him in the arm.